Rodizio Rico (Islington)

Meat quality is terrible. Service adequate, not enough time servicing meat and they think because they serve it on a skewer they can take their time. Just hand the god damn meat out...
Comment on this reader review

1 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 0
Saturday, April 13, 2013

I am really sad to say but will not be going back there even though the food is so good :(

I took my partner and his mum there for Easter Lunch and before booking confirmed that I have both the Groupon vouchers, which was ok. As we arrived on the day we got stopped at the door - asked for the vouchers, then the manager was called, so he can scan them on his Iphone, that didn't work, another waiter chipped in to do that. Good 10 mins later we finally were seated, then we waited more for drinks order to be taken. When I ordered Strawberry caipirinja - was told straight it is not included in my vouchers - i didnt ask if it was or not, then the waitress walked off and never returned, by then i went to ask the "Manager" whats going on - he then said they checked the website in regards my vouchers!!!! I just could not believe - if i knew any of this would hapen - would have just paid the full price and avoid the embarrsment.

End of the day - the food is really good - but do not go there with vouchers as you will be treated as an idiot. Would never recomend this place to anyone.
Comment on this reader review

sabine
5 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 6
Tuesday, April 02, 2013

I had to write this review as I've read the others for this restaurant and branch and I don't know what restaurant THEY were eating at. I've been to this branch probably 5 times and each time it's been amazing!

We last went a week ago on a thursday on the lunch menu so the price was absolutely fantastic. Admittedly, the price on a saturday or sunday at peak times is quite a bit but still worth it. I've been in a group of 15, a group of 4 and many times as just my partner and I.

Each time the food is amazing although last time they didn't have any chips in the buffet (which my partner likes) and out of the whole meal there was only two bites which were too tough to eat. At the end of the day, if you're going to be eating lots of different types and cuts and cooked meats, you're gonna get a tough bit!

Anywho, very recommended, especially at lunch times during the week (although there is not that much atmosphere as it's not usually busy at that time.
Comment on this reader review

Chris
8 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 10
Friday, November 16, 2012

I've been to this restaurant several times before and had great experiences so booked my birthday and leaving party at this venue last night. The day before I told a Brazilian friend I was planning a party there and she told me to avoid it at all costs as it was common knowledge it had gone downhill. It was too late to change the booking so I went ahead with the plan. I had originally booked for 22 but rang early yesterday to advise them the booking had changed to 15. 4 people were late turning up so the maître d’ came over and TOLD me we had to move so he could seat more people. I assured him that my friends were coming, they had all text to say the tubes were messed up so they'd be late. He then shouted at me in front of everyone saying, "well they're not here are they, I want the table back". Everyone was gobsmacked. At the end of the meal they overcharged us by £50 and it took a long argument before they admitted their mistake. And no apology. The meat ran out half way through the meal, they've packed more people in than usual so you couldn't move and the salad bar was inaccessible at times. The meat was poor quality and overcooked. I've had better treatment and food in a McDonalds. This is without a doubt the worst dining experience I've ever had.
Comment on this reader review

Kizzi
1 Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 1
Monday, May 14, 2012

I was really excited about going to Rodizio Rico Islington this weekend, as I had been hearing good things about rodizio restaurants for a long time and the concept seemed interesting. Well, I wish I hadn't bothered now.

The staff were EXTRAORDINARILY rude, from the hostess to the waiters. We were greeted in a very haughty manner and it took almost 10 minutes to be asked for our drinks orders. Nobody explained to us how the restaurant works and our questions were ignored by the staff, none of whom had a good level of English.

The hot buffet was just OK, but again the staff even managed to ruin that, with a waiter pouring more chicken wings into the bowl while I was still taking some, burning my hand. No apology or acknowledgement. We felt a bit happier when they started serving the meat, but we quickly realised that we were being missed out. There was a big party at the table next to us and they ended up taking ALL the meat. We saw them being offered chicken hearts, sausage and chicken, all of which disappeared before the waiter reached our table. You would have thought that the waiter would then start with us next time, but no, we were sitting for over 15 minutes without being offered a thing except for garlic bread, and we did not pay £23.50 a head for garlic bread. We eventually complained to the manager and they started coming to our table, but with an even surlier attitude this time. One waiter snapped at me and I didn't understand him (because of his bad English and strong accent), then he almost shouted at me, TAKE THE MEAT! I hadn't realised I was supposed to take it with my fork - why didn't they just explain that to us at the beginning?

We decided to leave after just an hour because we were having a miserable time., We were disgusted to find a service charge already added to the bill and wanted to ask for it to be removed, but were left waiting for about 15 minutes and eventually had to leave to catch our train. The whole experience was topped off with a smug smile from the unfriendly hostess on the way out. This was one of the worst dining experiences I have EVER had. I would not recommend Rodizio Rico to anyone unless they want to be insulted, have to beg for food and fed cheap, salty meat all evening. STAY AWAY!
Comment on this reader review

1 Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 1
Sunday, August 14, 2011

My experience was very disappointing and I would give this restaurant an overall mark of 4 out of 10. The meet served was unimpressive - chicken wings, chicken legs, ham, pork sausage, chicken sausage, chicken hearts - all cheap stuff. Then came rump steak which was OK and then we had to ask for lamb steak. There was no BBQ flavour and no sauces. The salad bar was OK but nothing to write home about.

If you appreciate good food, Rodizio Rico isn't the place to go.
Comment on this reader review

Mark Bernd
4 Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 3
Saturday, August 13, 2011

Went there last night for the first time and most definitely the last!

I've never ate such bad meat in all my life. Seriously the meat from a kebab shop tastes better so thats saying something. They probably think that by bringing in low quality meat no one will be able to distinguish whats good or bad.

To give an example it took me 5 minutes to chew through a tiny piece of beef and i still couldn't finish it!!

So then I thought at least the salad bar would fill the gaping hole in my stomach as I couldn't eat the meat anymore. Wrong again - poor cheap ingredients tasted so bland that water had more taste!

Service was also quite disinterested. Seriously don't go here - the place sucks - the food sucks - the service sucks. This is the first time I've written a review so if you don't believe me then go ahead and waste your money.
Comment on this reader review

V
0 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Thursday, June 16, 2011

Really not fun at all... Reminds me of feeding time at the zoo. Meat low quality, salad bar pretty rancid, service rude and if you like watching obese people get angry then this is your place...
Comment on this reader review

Kedi
2 Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 2
Monday, May 30, 2011

I've been going to Rodizio Rico for a few years now. The food is and always has been suberb. The buffet would make a very decent meal on it's own and then there is the meat which is still as delicious and tender as it has always been - and it's still great fun to get the bits sliced off in front of you.

However, as the old adage goes, it is getting too popular for it's own good. Admittedly we went at the busiest time possible - 9pm on saturday but that is now excuse for the following;

1) Seafood, fran-bacon and sausages disappeared from the menu

2) Fixed meal price jumped to £24 per person

3) Too many tables squeezed in to the room to maximise profits

4) Drink prices continue to spiral

The staff continue to be convivial and apologise for delays but at these prices it's lost its charm for me and perhaps it's spirit.
Comment on this reader review

Jim0734
4 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 1
Sunday, February 06, 2011

I can think of very little good to say about this place. We were a party of 6 that was seated at a table more suited for a party of four. We asked for a larger table and were told that there were none. Halfway through taking our drinks order the waiter simply walked off to another table and stated taking their order, so we had to call him back. He didn't explain how our food was to come (i.e. salad bar etc. was self-service, then the meat would follow).

As for the meat - well, what little of it we got was tough and inedible. At one point I could almost see me metal knife bending in the effort to cut a piece of sirloin. The only saving graces were the grilled pork sausage and the lamb. Although they advertise different cuts of grilled meats, each server that came to our table (on the odd occasion that they did, because we had to keep calling them over) kept bringing skewer after skewer of tough, gristly, inedible beef. And the staff obviously didn’t know their beef from their lamb; one came round offering lamb which turned out to be beef. When we pointed this out to him, he shrugged his shoulders, “smiled” and moved on.

My major issue is with the lack of service; it was particularly grating to see tables around us being plied with different meats which conveniently “ran out” when it was our turn to be served. Our second drinks order had to be given to 3 separate staff members before it got to us– it wasn’t that complex, but 2 cokes and 4 beers took 20 mins to materialise. We kept asking for different types of meat but for us, the only meat on the menu was beef. In the end, we did make a bit of a fuss – it felt a bit silly making a complaint about meat but after all, we were not getting this meal for free. Eventually pork ribs came, which looked delicious but very salty, the pork loin was dry and the only the lamb redeemed this very disappointing meal.

Sub-standard food, appalling service and a total bill of £198.98 which included an £18 service charge. My friends flatly refused to pay this and were told they “had to”. Needless to say, they didn’t!

A friend and I were taken there as a “treat” – it was anything but! We’d been looking forward to going there for some months now, but this is possibly the worst restaurant I've ever had the misfortune to visit. I will neither recommend it nor go there again.
Comment on this reader review

Kaie A. Cozier
0 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Friday, December 31, 2010